so tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
by lee.s.pluto
Summary: percy and jason share some sleepless nights after the giants war / jercy / au that takes place between hoo and toa / title from and plot based off of saltwater room by owl city /rated t for language


It was 3 AM and Percy couldn't fall asleep. He had been lying in bed, staring up at the bottom of the bunk above him for hours. Usually, he would sneak off to the Athena cabin to find Annabeth. But things felt a little awkward at the moment. They had decided to stop dating, they had decided that they prefered being friends, they had decided that Annabeth wasn't so sure she was straight. Percy decided not to mention that he felt the same way but prefered that their relationship gave him an easy out to his feelings. Percy decided not to mention that he had felt that way for far longer than he felt comfortable telling Annabeth. Percy decided not to mention that feeling he got whenever he was with Jason. Hell, Percy decided not to mention that more than looking at Annabeth, he found his gaze drifting towards the boy with blond hair and blue eyes and an uncanny ability to make Percy laugh.

But bottom line, Percy and Annabeth were no longer dating. And while Percy figured it wouldn't take long for them to be back to their normal friendship they had had for so many years, the breakup had only happened about eighteen hours prior to this moment. He wasn't quite ready. Not with the heavy weight in his mind, present whenever he thought of Jason, which was too often.

A sudden and cold gust of wind blew through the window Percy had forgotten to close. Cursing to himself, he got out of bed, wincing as his feet hit the cold wood floor. He picked his way through his dark cabin. It somewhat resembled the remains of a hurricane-struck home, with clothes, books, and other various items of Percy's thrown about. As he reached up to pull the window down, he spotted something down by the lake shore. No– some_one_. Squinting, he tried to discern who it was, despite how dark it was outside. After a moment, recognition hit him like a brick.

It was Jason.

Percy felt a fluttering in his stomach, which he didn't appreciate. Then he felt an impulse flutter in the back of his mind, which he couldn't stop. He scooped up a discarded t-shirt from off the ground, sniffed it, and quickly pulled it on, deeming it acceptable. He hadn't bothered to change out of his jeans, and wrestling on his converse took a negligible amount of time. Now dressed, Percy opened his window wider and climbed out, already beginning to shiver lightly.

"Hey, Jason," he called out.

Jason, who had been staring up at the sky, looked around wildly for a second. "Oh, hey, Percy!" He turned to face the other, waiting for him to catch up. "What's up, man? I heard about you and Annabeth. You okay?"

"Yeah, she– well, I– it was amicable. We're still friends and all that. What're you still doing up?"

Percy imagined Jason was blushing– his face did seem to color somewhat at Percy's question, though it was hard to tell, due to just how dark it was outside. He chalked it up to just that; his imagination.

"Couldn't sleep. I've just got a lot on my mind. You?"

"About the same. Sorry to drop in on your walk like this. I was closing my window while you walked by, so I decided to see if I could join you."

"No, no, it's totally fine! I could use the company. Though– do you want me to wait a moment so you can get a jacket or something? It's a little chilly, and you _are_ only wearing a t-shirt."

Percy glanced down at his shirt– a shirt Hazel had gotten him. It was, according to her, to pay homage to the quest he had gone on with her and Frank; it had SEATTLE written across the top, and was already well worn, because of just how comfortable it was.

"I'll be fine," he said, fighting down his mild shivers and uncrossing his arms to prove that yes, indeed, he would be fine without a coat.

"Alright," Jason replied. He smiled, and the fluttering in Percy's gut spiked.

"So what were you looking at? When I came over?"

"I had noticed an airplane flying overhead, that's all."

Percy looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and a good amount of stars were shining around the crescent moon. But no airplanes.

"It's gone now," Jason explained, unprompted, from Percy's shoulder.

"What if I just wanted to look at the sky?' Percy challenged.

"Well, then I'd say you have the wrong place. Everybody knows that the dock is the best place to sit and stargaze."

"Literally nobody that I know of thinks that."

"Okay, fine, maybe _I _like to use the dock. Sue me," Jason said, shrugging.

"Fine, let's go sit at the dock, then."

The two walked side by side down the lakeshore, stopping for a second where the wooden platform pertruded out into the water. While Jason hesitated, Percy walked down to the edge and sat, legs dangling. His left converse brushed surface, sending ripples.

"C'mon," Percy said over his shoulder. Jason soon sat down beside him. A second or two of silence settled between the two, before Percy swung his leg, bumping Jason's right foot.

"Don't start a fight you don't want to finish, Jackson," Jason growled playfully in a low voice, leaning towards the other's ear. Percy fought to keep his face from flushing red. Percy failed.

"Piss off, Jason," he replied teasingly, bumping his shoulder into his friend's chest. Not his best reply, but it would have to do.

There was a sudden force knocking him over, and Percy was enveloped in cold water. Propelling himself back up to the surface, he started spluttering indignantly. "Jesus Christ!"

"Oh, relax," Jason laughed. "You don't get wet in water, right?"

"Yeah, when I'm _expecting _and _ready _to get wet."

"Can't you dry off superhumanly fast?"

Percy scowled, not answering as he hauled himself back onto the dock, drying both his body and his clothes off pretty much instantly. "Still," he complained. "That shit's cold."

"I told you to bring a jacket," Jason chided, bumping into a violently shivering Percy.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting to get thrown into–" Percy trailed off, breath hitching in his throat as Jason took of his own hoodie.

"Here, cry baby. Wear my hoodie."

"What? No, no, it's okay."

Jason raised a skeptical eyebrow, still holding out the hoodie and very clearly watching Percy shiver.

"Fine," Percy grumbled, defeated, as he grabbed the hoodie and pulled it on over his shirt. While he was about as tall as Jason, the sweatshirt was still fairly oversized on Percy, due to the fact that Jason was a lot more muscular than him.

It was warm, and dark, and Percy was pretty positive it said UC DAVIS on it.

After a couple of moments, Percy said a quiet "thanks", leaning into the warm cloth.

Jason shoved Percy with his shoulder again, though it was more gentle; much more of a nudge. "Any time."

* * *

A couple of days later, Percy was sitting on the dock once more, staring out at the night sky hanging over the lake. He was wearing Jason's hoodie again, and his leg was swinging back and forth slowly.

"Hey, Perce."

Percy twisted to look at Jason, standing just before where the dock met the sand. "Hey, Jason. Can't sleep, either?"

"Nope. Feeling too restless. Wanna walk with me?"

"Sure. Any where in particular?" Percy asked, standing and walking towards Jason.

The latter stared at Percy for a few silent moments. "Uh. Not really. Sorry, I sort of blanked out for a moment there."

"Alright. Well, lead the way," Percy offered, gesturing for Jason to walk.

The two strolled down for the lake, initially in a comfortable silence. After what felt like forever, Jason spoke.

"Do you ever... forget everything for a moment? Or think you forget everything, at least?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Like, when Juno erased our memories. You had that potion, right?"

"Gorgon blood, yeah."

"Well, I didn't. My memories just... came back. Slowly. Very slowly. And, sometimes, someone will mention Reyna, or ask about life at Camp Jupiter, or anything like that. And for one terrifying moment, I'll just think... what? And I always find myself quizzing myself on _everything_. Piper's favorite color, Leo's latest invention, your..." he trailed off, like he said something he didn't mean to. "Your, uh, powers. Anything. And sometimes I think I forget the answer, and I feel like I'm suffocating. Does that ever happen to you?"

Percy fell silent for a moment. "Once. Sorta. When I was at my mom's house. I was sitting on the couch, holding Estelle, when suddenly, I... I didn't know who she was. Or where I was. I forgot everything again, for a moment. I put Estelle down on the couch and walked out. I couldn't remember how to get home– Hell, I didn't even know _where _home was– until late that night. My mom was crying when I got home. I didn't know what to tell her. But whenever I'm home now, I'm never left alone when I'm doing something important, because my mom's afraid I'll forget again."

The two walked in silence for a little longer, now venturing into the forest. Percy's pen was in his hand before he could even really consider taking it out.

"Fuck the gods," Jason said quietly.

"What?" Percy asked, startled. He wasn't surprised so much at the message of the curse (Gods know how many times he had uttered the same during quests); what was so shocking to him was who it had been who said it. He had never heard Jason cuss before.

"Juno played us so hard by taking away our memories. We still haven't recovered. The gods suck. They use us like pawns in their games of chess."

"You're right. But if they aren't in control of our world, then who is? The Titans? Giants? Gaea? There's no alternative. The gods suck. But at least they want us around."

Jason heaved a hefty sigh. "Yeah." He glanced around for a second. The two demigods were standing before a tunnel in the woods. "Do we wanna...?"

"Go in?" prompted Percy. Jason nodded. "Yeah, why not. Let's rumble."

Jason couldn't help but grin, reaching his hand into his pocket. His grin melted as his hand came out empty. "Darn," he muttered. "I forgot that my coin... was destroyed. Looks like I'm relying on my powers for this one."

"Don't worry, I gotcha," Percy promised, only half joking.

Together, they ventured into the dark underground.

A minute or so after they entered the tunnel, Percy paused. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

Jason stood still. Quiet, in the distance, there was a deep rumble. The two boys glanced at each other quizzically before they continued walking, more cautiously than before.

The tunnel twisted slowly, slightly, and eventually it spat the two demigods out into a cavern. There was that quiet, distant rumbling still, and Percy and Jason started to explore the more expansive space.

It didn't take long for Percy to suddenly realize what the tunnel was for, or what the rumbling was from. And it was getting louder. His eyes focused on the rails mere inches from him as he capped his sword, turning it back into a pen.

"Jason," he said, turning to face the boy behind him. "It's a subway. We're in the subway."

"What?" Jason asked, looking away from the wall he was studying, which had graffiti sprayed on.

The rumbling was growing louder. Bright lights flooded the tunnel, at first gradual and after a second sudden.

Jason reached out and grabbed pulled Percy towards him, so they were both against the wall, as the train bursted in. Neither could breath; demigods may be strong, but neither boy figured they could win against a subway hitting them. Neither dared move, even though every bone in Percy's body told him to, with his back exposed to the train.

After an eternity had passed, the train disappeared, taking the light with it. The rumbling began to fade again.

Still, the two boys stayed pressed against each other for a moment, working to overcome the shock of the moment. Finally, Percy cleared his throat and pulled away.

"Uh. I'm pretty much adventured out. How about we head back for camp?" he suggested, looking away from Jason as he fought to steady his heart.

"Y... yeah, that's a good idea," Jason agreed. "Let's go."

By the time they got back to camp, the sun was just about to rise.

"Shit, it's nearly six in the morning," said Percy. "We were gone much longer than I intended."

"We better hurry back to our cabins then. I'll see you around, Perce."

"Alright. See you later, Jason."

While Jason hustled off to his cabin, Percy paused, looking at the sand at his feet. He spotted a shell and grabbed it, raising it to his ear. The sound of waves echoed out to him, and he gave a small smile, looking at Jason one more time before returning to his cabin, shell in hand.

* * *

Jason stared at the roof hanging high over his bunk. He had been awake for hours. Camp had ended for the summer, and he was still in New York. He had asked Piper if they could take a break, see other people, because the whole situation of waking up with no memories and Juno deciding he would date Piper just felt _wrong_. Piper agreed, said she felt the same way. But also suggested he stayed here, in New York. Said she had a feeling that he was looking for something, and that he'd find it at camp. He was pretty sure they both knew what that was, but he wasn't ready to admit it, yet.

Sitting up, he slowly decided to climb out of his bunk, down to the floor. His socked feet padded across the floor, pausing as he grabbed his glasses, and he soon was staring out his window at the lake. Deep down, he thought he felt a feeling akin to longing, but he carefully chose to ignore it, and what it could mean.

It had been two weeks since he had sat at the edge of the dock with Percy. Just under two weeks since the two had explored the subway tunnels.

He closed his eyes, and found himself drawing Percy in his mind; dark, messy hair, bright, wild eyes, lean but strong body. He released the breath he had been holding. No memory loss there.

But there was still the problem of sleep. Jason had slept for roughly an hour before waking up. He just had too much going on in his mind. After a moment of mental debate in his mind, he decided to do as he usually did; go outside, see if he couldn't run into Percy, and walk. Or sit on the dock.

Climbing out his window, Jason immediately and involuntarily turned to study the cabin beside his; Poseidon's. Warily, he dashed across the brief expanse between the cabins. He paused. Then he tapped on the window.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Percy.

His messy hair even messier than usual, his green eyes tired but bright, and wearing Jason's UC DAVIS sweatshirt. Upon noticing this, Jason's throat closed in an uncomfortable way. Briskly, he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No. I woke up a few minutes before..." Percy paused, and Jason looked back at him curiously. The son of Poseidon mumbled the quiet explanation of "nightmare."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows and studied his friend. "Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"Can't. Let's go walking." Percy climbed out his window, almost falling in the process.

"Yeah... I'm not sure that's a good idea. You aren't looking very good right now. How about we sit somewhere?"

To be frank, Jason didn't think Percy would've even been able to walk to the dock. He glanced around, and then up, and then got an idea.

"How about we sit on the roof?" Jason suggested. "I can fly us up."

"Fine, but next time, we're gonna chill in the lake. I'll make us an air bubble or something."

Jason laughed. "Alright, Jackson, but I'm holding you to that promise, so don't bother trying to back out of it later."

"Where's the trust, Jason?" Percy admonished. "If you can't trust me to follow through with a promise of an air bubble, how can I trust you to fly me on to a roof?"

"Guess it's a leap of faith," Jason said in reply. "Now are we going or what?"

"You tell me. I sure as hell can't get us up there."

"Right, right, right. My bad." Jason paused, briefly trying to decide how he could best lift Percy. It wasn't weight or strength that would matter, just that he had to hang on without Percy slipping. Then it occured to Jason that maybe he was being a _tad _excessive with the whole scenario, and maybe he could just grab Percy and go already.

Wrapping his arm around Percy's upper back, he concentrated on lifting the two up.

"There, how's that for getting us up here?" Jason asked as the wind sat them down on the roof of Percy's cabin. Like that day on the dock, Jason watched Percy's leg swing back and forth.

"This is good," said Percy complacently. He was staring out, towards the lake. A comfortable silence settled between the two boys. They stayed mostly still, with the exception of Percy's leg, and when Percy slowly slumped against Jason, quiet snores drifting out of his mouth.

Jason couldn't help but grin at the mop of dark hair on his shoulder, though he didn't dare move, afraid that one twitch would wake the other boy. He sat there for so long that the sun was rising when he finally decided he had to go back to his cabin.

"Perce," he whispered, nudging Percy gently. "Hey, Percy. The sun's rising, we need to go back to our cabins."

"Why," groaned Percy, still half asleep.

"We'll get in trouble if Chiron finds out we were out of our cabins," Jason reminded him softly. "C'mon, let's get down."

He wrapped his arm around Percy again and called the wind to gently lower them to the ground. Once on the ground, Percy seemed alert enough to be able to stumble into his cabin and collapse on his bed.

Jason grinned a little at his tired friend before turning and hurrying back to his cabin. He climbed through his window and into his bed quickly and easily, but as he got comfortable in bed, no sleep came.

Lying, eyes open, trying to sleep, Jason felt a fluttering in his stomach. _No_, he thought harshly, furrowing his eyebrows. Today would _not _be the day he came to terms with... well, he couldn't mention it, that'd make it so much harder to ignore. Not that is was _easy _now.

He was still awake when the conch shell blew to wake everybody up. He stumbled out of bed, changed into new clothes, and off he went to start his day.

Gods, he was exhausted. So tired that he stumbled his way through the day. So tired that Will pulled him aside and asked if everything was okay, if Jason needed to go to the infirmaty, but ultimately backed down when Jason simply supplied the explanation (his lack of sleep).

When he could finally lie down and go to sleep, he fell asleep instantly. It felt like he had just closed his eyes when there was a knock at his window. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Jason grabbed his glasses and walked to the window. It was Percy, looking rather worse for wear.

"Jason. My dude. Sorry to wake you," Percy said. No, it was more of a croak.

"It's not a problem, Perce. Are you okay?"

"Mmm. No. 'Nother nightmare. Don't wanna be alone, but I don't wanna go anywhere. Can I hang with you in here?"

"Of course. Come on in."

Percy climbed into the cabin and glanced around apprehensively. "Where can I chill?"

"Well, _that_ bunk," Jason gestured to his bed, "is mine, so. How badly shaken are you? From your dream, that is? Are you gonna be able to get some more sleep?"

"I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

"Alright. If you need anything, let me know." Jason paused, and then impulsively added, "Can I give you a hug?"

Percy nodded, and wrapped his arms tightly around Jason, who returned the embrace. Then something hapened that he didn't expect: he heard Percy choke back a sob. Completely lost on what he was supposed to do, he just hugged the other teen harder.

"Thanks, man," Percy said quietly, lowly, as they both pulled back from the hug. "For everything. It's just... it's been a rough few weeks. Months. You've been... you've been a really good friend."

"Of course." Jason paused, carefully planning his next words. "You mean a lot to me. I really meant what I said earlier; if you need anything at all, just give me the word, I'll do what I can."

He was looking Percy in the eye, and he suddenly realized how close they were to each other. A wave of heat flooded his face, undoubtedly turning him red. Percy followed suit, but smiled slightly.

Jason wanted to say it now.

He was okay with coming to terms with it.

He liked Percy Jackson.

"I–"

Percy's mouth opened in a huge yawn. "Hmm?" he prompted, after Jason stopped speaking.

_I think I like you. Not like friends, _Jason wanted to say.

"I think you should probably go to sleep now," Jason said instead. "Last chance– need anything before you go to sleep?"

"Actually..." Percy began, trailing off nearly immediately.

"What? What is it?"

"It sounds dumb. And childish."

"So? I'm dumb and childish all the time," Jason reassured Percy. The latter made a skeptical face. "Ask."

"Can you, uh... sleep with me? I know it's dumb, but it helps, and–"

"I know, I get it. Same for me." Jason paused, glancing around. He thanked the gods for his clean cabin, making his next course of action much easier. "Let me slide this bunk over so we have more room."

"I can help," Percy offered, hovering by Jason's bunkbed.

"I know. But you're tired. I can take care of it. Just settle in, make yourself at home," Jason suggested, smiling at Percy. He spent a minute or two pushing the bunk so it was flush against his own, so the bed space was essentially doubled. "There we are. Now why don't we both go to sleep now?"

Percy mumbled in a vaguely agreeing way, and Jason removed his glasses, placed them on a small table, and climbed into the bed next to Percy.

He wasn't sure how long he stared at Percy before falling asleep. As easily as it could've been an eternity, it could've been only a few minutes. He knew Percy fell asleep pretty quickly, because it was within moments of Jason lying down that the other boy's breathing slowly steadied.

When he opened his eyes in the morning, minutes before the camp's wake-up call, Jason was still lying face to face with Percy, but now much closer. Every slight exhale from the other sent a sprinkle of warm air skittering across Jason's skin. The butterflies that had really been there since Percy first knocked on his window seemed to multiply.

Percy started to stir, and, somewhat frantically, Jason closed his eyes, trying to act like he, too, was just waking up. He couldn't tell if he was disappointed or relieved that Percy was already sitting up when he dared opened his eyes again.

"Mornin'," Percy muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Good morning," Jason said. He sat up and stretched. "Did you sleep well?"

Percy nodded. "For sure. Thanks, and, uh, sorry, man. Sleeping next to me probably isn't what you thought I would ask for."

"Nonsense, don't apologize. I know it helps with nightmares, I've been there."

The two fell into silence, Jason slyly watching Percy's profile, until the conch blew, signalling it was time to wake up.

"You should probably, uh, head back. To your cabin. To get ready for breakfast," Jason suggested awkwardly.

"Yeah. And, uh. Thanks, again, Jason. For everything."

"Of course, Perce. I'll see you at breakfast."

After Percy left the cabin, Jason hurriedly got ready for the day, returning the bunks in his cabin to their original spots.

As he sat and ate breakfast, he found himself astounded once more by just how empty camp was on the offseason. While he and Percy were usually alone (Nico usually was, too, but since his stay in the infirmiry, Jason saw him sitting with Will more than at his actual table. Chiron seemed to be giving them the blind eye, for now), now several other cabins were dwindling, too. There were a few Ares kids, one or two Hephaestus kids (the reminder of Leo caused Jason's heart to twist), and maybe half a dozen children of Aphrodite. There were still plenty of demigods at the Hermes table, though now instead of full, nearly overflowing, it was more roughly half the size of the Athena or Apollo cabin.

The emptiness of camp was also felt during the day's activities. They were officially in the off-season, meaning activities were free-for-alls. And yet there was one person on the rock wall, two sparring, and another person spectating. Those were the only people Jason saw out and about. Perhaps the rest went back to their cabins, or to arts and crafts, or to some other activity around camp, but either way, it was a huge contrast from the hustle and bustle Jason had come to expect from camp. It was the complete opposite of Camp Jupiter, where most campers stayed year round, at least in New Rome.

"Whatcha up to?" Percy asked from behind, making Jason jump.

"Oh, not much. Just thinking."

"Ah, okay." Percy paused, prompting Jason to turn to face him. "Uh, wanna go for a walk? There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Sure," Jason agreed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Where do you want to go?"

Percy glanced around cautiously. "Why not to the tunnel we found? That leads to the subway?"

"Alright," Jason said. "But let's be careful not to get too close to the tracks this time."

Percy grinned. "Fo' shizzle. And maybe we should stop so you can grab a weapon this time. Just in case."

"Oh, that's a good idea," Jason agreed.

The two walked towards the Zeus cabin, small yet pleasant conversation drifting between them. As they turned to walk toward the forest, conversation drifted towards the tunnel.

"Yeah, I've been thinking, and there's no way that tunnel takes us close enough to the city for a subway to run through," Percy explained. "So I think it's part of the Labyrinth."

"What labyrinth?"

"Shit, you weren't here for that, were you?" Percy asked. "The Labyrinth, like in Greek mythology. Super hard to navigate. Nico lived in it for a while, with the ghost of Minos. It was a whole thing. Happened a year before Kronos."

"Wait, really? Nico lived in the _Labyrinth_? With _Minos_?"

"Yeah, it was some bad stuff. Anyways, I think the tunnel may have been a piece of the Labyrinth that, like, got disconnected? I don't know, magic is weird."

Jason nodded. "I hear that."

The two now stood before the entrance to the tunnel. Percy hesitated, seeming to work up the nerve to enter.

"Okay," Percy said after a second. "The thing I needed to talk to you about."

They were walking into the tunnel, now. Jason turned his head to study Percy, who was very persistently looking at anything other than Jason.

"I don't know if this is weird, I'm sorry if it is. I don't want to make our friendship awkward, but," Percy paused. Jason felt his heart thrumming faster and faster. "I really like you. Romantically, not platonically. Yeah, this is weird, I'm sorry."

Jason stopped walking, and after a second, so did Percy.

"I like you too."

"You– what?" Percy asked, sounding baffled.

Jason grinned. "I like you. A lot."

There was a pause, where the two boys just stared at each other.

"So, what now?" Percy asked finally, looking nervous, but excited.

"Well, I was considering asking you out on a date."

"I'd like that," Percy said complacently, taking a small step towards Jason.

* * *

That night, Jason and Percy sat on the dock, a pile of snacks between them. Fireflies floated between the two as they laughed and joked the night away.

If you'd asked Jason, he would say the date ended far too early. But right at the end, when he and Percy were about to go to their seperate cabins, there was a moment. They had both paused at the end of the dock, studying each other, mere inches seperating them.

Percy was wearing Jason's sweatshirt again, and it felt right. And he had found himself asking a question he never thought he would ever ask a boy. "Can I kiss you?" Percy had nodded wordlessly.

Jason leaned down to bridge the slight height difference, hands cupping Percy's face. And they kissed.

And it was perfect.


End file.
